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Dusk was settling over the bayou, soft and quiet and milky The massive sable puma watched the one he wanted above all others sca as a beacon, a spotlight He wanted to run after her, block her path, growl at her, hiss at her At least until she listened to reason, ain, lick her fur But Genevieve Burel was
deterive her and allow her back into their fold And Jean-Baptiste had decided to let her
He turned in a circle, snarling softly
She&039;d lied to hiry with her? He&039;d lied to her, too
He opened his mouth to scent her one last tirance of her and her cat into his nostrils, then took off in the opposite direction He&039;d give her twenty-four hours to come to her senses, listen to herself, her body, and her cat Twenty-four hours to realize they belonged together Twenty-four hours to come to terms with the fact that the elders were her past, and Jean-Baptiste was her future Then he was going in
Clock starts now, Miss Burel
He yowled at a few black pue of the yello lily-strewn bayou They returned his call, and he continued on, weaving in and out of a stand of oak, catching the scents of Hunters and Suits a the pitcher plants and wild bee balh his heart hurt like a motherfucker, he wanted to check on Ashe, Raphael, and on Isi
See what progress was beinghis de like the cave-top hive he&039;d stuh a patch of anise shrub Must be close to eveningdown one of the side streets The Pantera puoodbye to friends, rushing out of shops,their way toward their residences
Baptiste spotted the clinic ahead and picked up speed A few pu, but Baptiste didn&039;t slow
Already up the steps and inside, he headed for his office, a place he&039;d hardly been in the last fewfrom home He hadn&039;t wanted to risk a problem with his cat But he didn&039;t have that proble into the lab Not since Genevieve
His lip curled and his cat purred
Damn, hewith her to see the elders, letting the three ancient feed But he was trying not to be a possessive bastard Trying to let her coether on her own
Of course, he wouldn&039;t wait long
Twenty-four hours
Tick Tock
"Come to check on your voodoun?" His cat&039;s fur prickled and he turned around, eyed the party behind him
Raphael and two of the Pantera&039;s best physicians entered the lab, the latter wearing pale blue coats and looking very concerned
Baptiste shifted instantly, loving the new and precious feeling of control he now had over his anireen eyes narroith the new, quick and easy act "Well, this a new develop the Suit&039;s assessment, Jean-Baptiste walked toward theel said dryly, his night-black eyes and white short hair a startling contrast "Awake and pissed" Grabbing the stack of charts froel&039;s hands, CJ headed for her desk
"I think the last ti your death" Just as he&039;d expected "Weapon of choice?"
The red-haired fe
She was talking blades e examined her Then a very dull sae took blood"
They&039;d done a full work-up? Christ, she was going to be spitting fire "Did you give her anything?"
"Just soreen when she woke up But the iven her some relief"
"Has she seen Ashe?" Jean-Baptiste asked
Raphael growled before anyone could answer "She&039;s refused"
Damned, stubborn woman "I&039;ll talk to her"
"You need to do ap between the "You need to convince her to coan
But the leader of the Suits was too far gone now Rage and fear and misery coated his skin, was the air he breathed, directed every ht
He cocked his head to one side and flashed Baptiste his fully-descended canines "Because if she doesn&039;t help my fe her"
"The voodoun is here?" came the soft hiss "In the Wildlands?"
"Yes" Genevieve sat before the elders, her chin lifted, but her insides twisting and turning with dread and grief and desire for the male she&039;d left back in the bayou The three ancient, female Pantera, who existed in their puma state, were coated in le on the wide, cypress bridge that extended across the calm, moonlit bayou
"You failed to stop her," said Wilu
The brown cat&039;s words were not a question
Genevieve nodded "I know"
"What is your excuse?" Gaya asked, the blue-gray cat&039;s htful